What’s the hidden formula that propels the top 1% of writers to unparalleled success in the online world?
Editorial Feature
If you haven’t stumbled upon Tim’s insights yet, you are in for a treat. He is the young and joyful guy who dishes out the truth with no sugarcoating, just focusing on clarity, brevity, and impact. It is no wonder his words have racked up over a billion views. Tim doesn’t just write; he drops truth bombs.
Despite having a gazillion followers across platforms, Tim couldn’t care less about the numbers — he knows most of them are fake. What truly matters to him are the discerning, loyal readers. He empowers around 200K of them with his insightful newsletters, connecting with them on a deeper, more meaningful level.
The aim of this post is to spotlight Tim’s latest eye-opener, The Secret of the Top 1.15% of Writers. I am featuring it because Tim tears down the tired old advice we’ve heard for years — and guess what? He is bloody right. I discussed the importance of simplicity in my profession in 2021.
Tim Denning just set the online writing world ablaze with this latest revelation in this masterpiece. It is not just another piece of generic advice — it is a full-blown bombshell, in my opinion.
He lays out the brutal truth with surgical precision: writing daily by following conventional rules is not enough. The masters of the craft — those elite few who rake in millions of views — don’t just write with archaic rules, sugarcoated phrases, or SEO keywords. They go beyond.
What do they do differently? They optimize every word to grab readers’ attention and never let it go. This isn’t some abstract theory. It is a hard-hitting reality check for any writer serious about breaking into that top echelon.
Captivating Attention Is the Real Currency of Online Writing
Tim doesn’t just talk about engagement in this insightful and well-articulated piece. He breaks it down to its core. Holding a reader’s attention is not just a goal. It is the holy grail of online writing.
He claims that if you cannot get your reader to stay until the end, as I sometimes fail due to the complexity of my topics, you are not just losing a click — you are throwing away trust, interest, and, ultimately, money (if you are a freelancer).
The top 1% know this reality. Therefore, they wield this power with almost surgical precision, which I am now practicing on another platform and getting splendid results.
Subheadings Are Not Just for Making Your Story Look Pretty
His unique insight into subheadings is pure gold. Subheadings aren’t just labels to make your story look nice. They play a more prominent role.
These mini-headlines are strategically placed to keep the reader on the edge. Each one is a lifeline, pulling the reader deeper into the narrative. This approach is simple yet so overlooked.
In this bloody bombshell, Tim makes you wonder why you didn’t see it before. You are not alone, as I have also failed this before.
Learn from Best Selling Fiction Authors
I learned this long ago from my favorite fiction writers, who made me addicted. I will never forget finishing a book by Dostoevsky or Thomas Hardy without a break in a trance state in my 20s. I am talking about suspension, those cliffhangers, the writer’s secret weapon.
These top writers in his one percentile don’t just tell stories — they weave mysteries in their own words, leaving readers craving more with every sentence.
In a world drowning in artificial and boring predictability, Tim’s approach to keeping readers guessing is refreshing, eye-opening, and revolutionary.
Honestly, I’m fed up with arbitrary rules made by small-minded thinkers.
When I joined this platform five years ago, the contrived rules imposed by some publication owners made my stomach churn. I have seen big pubs reject stories just because a writer placed a comma “wrong” or dared to start a sentence with “But,” “Also,” or “And.”
I liked Tim’s unapologetic stance on breaking the rules, which is sometimes necessary to make an impact and connect with the reader using our freestyle. Tim nails it with his in-your-face advice.
He advocates for writing with guts — swearing when necessary, breaking grammar rules if it adds meaning to the conversation, and challenging the status quo to connect with readers beter. It is this rebellious streak that separates the bland from the brilliant.
Get to the Point and Stop Waffling
Tim’s advice on cutting the fluff is a masterclass in clarity, brevity, and impact — something I’ve emphasized for years in academia. My academic training taught me to waffle, wasting precious time.
That’s why I turned to online writing and stopped begging ivory tower journals to publish my work. After all, they are only read by a handful who can afford the steep subscription fees.
Waffling is a writer’s worst enemy online, and Tim doesn’t sugarcoat it when he says, “Get to the point!” The new era of writing is concise, powerful, and relentless. It’s about making every word count. His no-nonsense approach is the wake-up call we all need.
So, to cut to the chase for the sake of brevity and simplicity
Tim offers a blueprint for joining the elite (most-read writers) in a four-minute story, which I re-iterated in my own words. His insights are spot-on in modern writing. He advocates the power of intentional simplicity and brevity to create an impact.
As a seasoned writer, content strategist, and curator, I can say this: Tim Denning is bloody right in shaking the ground and challenging the status quo. His revelations are educational, inspiring, impactful, and downright revolutionary.
If you are serious about online writing, this is the kind of advice that informs, educates, inspires, and transforms. Pay attention because Tim, along with writers like Dan Koe, Kieran Drew, Alex Mathers, Michael Simmons, Mike Thompson, and Matt Gray, just changed the game. You would be wise to learn from them.
I featured Tim’s story because it hit home for me. It inspired me to rewrite the submission guidelines for my publications. His insights echoed the very reasons I had to close my beloved ILLUMINATION-Curated and rebrand it as Curated Newsletters.
My new focus as a multi-pub owner is on educating and inspiring writers to craft stories with brevity, clarity, and impact — free from the constraints of the platform’s boost rules. These stringent rules with no or little reward for writers led to my resignation from the Boost program. Tim’s words remind me of why I made those tough decisions. Stay tuned.
If you want to learn about my new writing strategy, check out Chapter 4 of my new book, Substack Mastery:
Substack Mastery Book: Chapter 4
Crafting an impactful strategy and adaptable delivery plan to maximize subscriber growth for sustainable business valuemedium.com
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